Longitudinal study of socio-emotional cognitive processing in individuals with anorexia nervosa and the impact of autistic characteristics on neural processing
BackgroundDifficulties in socio-emotional cognitive processing are a key feature in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN); however, the underlying neural processing, particularly longitudinal, is poorly understood. Compounding difficulties is the presence of overrepresented autistic characteristics...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583417/full |
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| author | Daniel Halls Daniel Halls Jenni Leppanen Steve Williams Kate Tchanturia Kate Tchanturia Kate Tchanturia |
| author_facet | Daniel Halls Daniel Halls Jenni Leppanen Steve Williams Kate Tchanturia Kate Tchanturia Kate Tchanturia |
| author_sort | Daniel Halls |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundDifficulties in socio-emotional cognitive processing are a key feature in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN); however, the underlying neural processing, particularly longitudinal, is poorly understood. Compounding difficulties is the presence of overrepresented autistic characteristics, and it is unclear how these impact socio-emotional cognitive neural processing in individuals with AN.MethodA total of 92 participants, including 65 individuals with AN and 27 controls, took part in a longitudinal assessment at two time points, approximately 2 years apart, by undertaking socio-emotional cognitive tasks while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A multivariate approach was used to predict autistic characteristics from generated maps from the AN group.ResultsA group-by-time interaction effect was demonstrated in several brain regions in response to tasks, with the regions with the strongest evidence being the right frontal operculum/pole. The multivariate approach revealed a wide distribution of brain regions contributing to autistic characteristics.ConclusionNeural changes over time in the right frontal operculum/pole potentially represent a compensatory mechanism for cognitive difficulties. Autistic characteristics in individuals with AN are instantiated and impact a wide distribution of neural regions, particularly during socio-emotional cognitive processing. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-05f41dfc8fa74ad4b8de84f9b3b2eb9b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-05f41dfc8fa74ad4b8de84f9b3b2eb9b2025-08-20T03:47:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-06-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15834171583417Longitudinal study of socio-emotional cognitive processing in individuals with anorexia nervosa and the impact of autistic characteristics on neural processingDaniel Halls0Daniel Halls1Jenni Leppanen2Steve Williams3Kate Tchanturia4Kate Tchanturia5Kate Tchanturia6Department of Psychological Medicine, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United KingdomSir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United KingdomDepartment of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United KingdomDepartment of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United KingdomDepartment of Psychological Medicine, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United KingdomSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust National Eating Disorder Service, London, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology, Illia State University, Tbilisi, GeorgiaBackgroundDifficulties in socio-emotional cognitive processing are a key feature in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN); however, the underlying neural processing, particularly longitudinal, is poorly understood. Compounding difficulties is the presence of overrepresented autistic characteristics, and it is unclear how these impact socio-emotional cognitive neural processing in individuals with AN.MethodA total of 92 participants, including 65 individuals with AN and 27 controls, took part in a longitudinal assessment at two time points, approximately 2 years apart, by undertaking socio-emotional cognitive tasks while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A multivariate approach was used to predict autistic characteristics from generated maps from the AN group.ResultsA group-by-time interaction effect was demonstrated in several brain regions in response to tasks, with the regions with the strongest evidence being the right frontal operculum/pole. The multivariate approach revealed a wide distribution of brain regions contributing to autistic characteristics.ConclusionNeural changes over time in the right frontal operculum/pole potentially represent a compensatory mechanism for cognitive difficulties. Autistic characteristics in individuals with AN are instantiated and impact a wide distribution of neural regions, particularly during socio-emotional cognitive processing.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583417/fullanorexia nervosaautismsocio-emotional and cognitionlongitudinalfMRI |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Halls Daniel Halls Jenni Leppanen Steve Williams Kate Tchanturia Kate Tchanturia Kate Tchanturia Longitudinal study of socio-emotional cognitive processing in individuals with anorexia nervosa and the impact of autistic characteristics on neural processing Frontiers in Psychology anorexia nervosa autism socio-emotional and cognition longitudinal fMRI |
| title | Longitudinal study of socio-emotional cognitive processing in individuals with anorexia nervosa and the impact of autistic characteristics on neural processing |
| title_full | Longitudinal study of socio-emotional cognitive processing in individuals with anorexia nervosa and the impact of autistic characteristics on neural processing |
| title_fullStr | Longitudinal study of socio-emotional cognitive processing in individuals with anorexia nervosa and the impact of autistic characteristics on neural processing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Longitudinal study of socio-emotional cognitive processing in individuals with anorexia nervosa and the impact of autistic characteristics on neural processing |
| title_short | Longitudinal study of socio-emotional cognitive processing in individuals with anorexia nervosa and the impact of autistic characteristics on neural processing |
| title_sort | longitudinal study of socio emotional cognitive processing in individuals with anorexia nervosa and the impact of autistic characteristics on neural processing |
| topic | anorexia nervosa autism socio-emotional and cognition longitudinal fMRI |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583417/full |
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